These are affiliate links. I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Here we go again—another smart-display company gets in touch and offers me a unit to review.
Two years into reviewing these things, especially BMW-specific displays, I don’t just take all comers anymore. I’ve tested nearly 50 units, and I have to be a bit more selective. What does this one offer? Is there something worth investigating? Will it give me something useful to tell you?
Luckily for HFK, I had already seen their units at EICMA in November 2025. They looked decent enough, and their stand was pretty substantial: two bikes, plenty of staff and a proper presence at the show. That tends to give you a bit more confidence.
So I agreed to take a look. And this one surprised me.
They Actually Tell You What It’s Made From
Once the HC50 RM arrived, I looked into the specification and thought: this is unusual. HFK was listing details that other manufacturers often don’t want to get into.
The 5.7-inch screen is made by Sharp. They make excellent screens for this type of product, so that was a good start. The outer screen is Corning Gorilla Glass, and it has an anti-reflective matte surface built in.
That means no rushing out to buy a stick-on solution after you’ve just bought your new display. It’s already there.
With 1400 nits brightness, I’ve found it easy to read in bright sunshine. The BMW bike-data screens are neatly laid out, too. You can actually see the information you want without having to hunt around for it.
The Wonderwheel Response Is the Best I’ve Tested
This is where the HFK really stands out.
Every turn of the Wonderwheel and every selection is instant. Zero lag. You turn it, it responds. You select something, it happens.
Of the nearly 50 smart displays I’ve tested, this is the only unit that has delivered that response consistently. It’s the best Wonderwheel integration I’ve seen.
It might sound like a small thing on paper, but you use those controls all the time. Moving through menus, opening apps and changing views feels immediate, and that makes a real difference on the bike.
I Tried to Make It Overheat
The rear housing is aluminium and dissipates heat rapidly. Naturally, I wanted to see whether that actually worked.
So I left the bike parked in the sun at 32°C for 45 minutes, with the sun hitting the back of the unit.
It started first time. No issues.
I couldn’t get it to overheat…and I tried.
I’ve had other displays struggle in high temperatures without leaving them baking in the sun first. The HFK coped with that test without any fuss, which impressed me far more than another line on a specification sheet.
Decent Storage Comes as Standard
You get 128GB of storage as standard, with the option to upgrade to 256GB.
If you add the optional cameras, that extra capacity is something you’ll probably want. It’s good to see a useful amount included from the outset.
Actual Buttons. Including Power On/Off.
Another feature that other units sorely need is the row of physical buttons on top, including power on/off.
Now, you might think: why does that matter? It starts and shuts down with the ignition.
Yes, it does.
But if a display stops responding while you’re riding and needs a restart, what do you do? Without a separate power control, you can end up having to stop, switch the bike off, wait for the display to shut down and then switch everything back on again.
With the HFK, you can restart the display without going through all that.
I’ve tested the power button on the move and found it easy to operate. It’s a simple, useful feature, and I’d like to see more manufacturers include it.
You Don’t Have to Own a BMW
My unit came with the BMW module, so that’s the version I’ve tested. It provides the Wonderwheel integration and BMW bike data I’m talking about here.
But the HC50 RM is also available without the BMW module and can be fitted to other motorcycles. So if you don’t ride a BMW, you can still consider it—just remember that my comments about the Wonderwheel and bike data relate to the BMW-equipped version.
The One Thing I’m Still Waiting For
The missing feature for me is action-camera control.
I use cameras regularly, so controlling them from the display is useful, especially when they’re mounted somewhere you can’t easily reach. That’s something the CHIGEE AIO-6 Max already offers.
HFK is working on it. If they deliver it and it works well, that would put the HC50 RM ahead of the AIO-6 for me.
For riders who don’t need action-camera control or the CHIGEE’s integration with the SR-1 blind-spot detector, I already think the HFK is the better choice.
Why I Use Different Displays on My Two Bikes
On my R1200GSA, I use the CHIGEE AIO-6 Max with the SR-1 blind-spot detector. That gives me blind-spot warnings on the display as well as action-camera control. Those are useful features on that bike.
On my R1300GSA, I tend to use the HFK HC50 RM. That bike already has BMW’s factory blind-spot detector, so I don’t need the SR-1 integration.
The HFK gives me an excellent screen, the best Wonderwheel response I’ve tested, proper physical buttons and an aluminium housing that handled my heat test without a problem. And in my comparison, it costs around $100 less than the AIO-6.
I went into this review thinking HFK looked worth a try. I came out of it with a unit I choose to use on my own bike.
That’s why the HC50 RM was the surprise of the year.
Join Our HFK Support Group
We also have an HFK support group on Facebook. If you’ve got one, are thinking about buying one or have questions, join us:
Get 20% Off the HFK HC50 RM
Use promo code SMARTRIDING for 20% off:
HFK supplied my unit for review. The buying link is an affiliate link, so I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. These are my opinions based on my own testing and use.